MICE
Are Those Mice I Hear Scampering Through My Walls?
Need help now? Call 508-946-0060 immediately. Remember, Gary’s Wildlife has an exceptional success rate removing mice.
IMPORTANT: Since the females breed year-round and have 5-10 litters each year, consisting of 5 or 6 offspring each, house mice are notorious for taking over a property very quickly. It is vital that you keep mouse population in your home under control at all times.
The most common mammal in cities, next to humans, is the house mouse. They occupy buildings and homes MUCH more frequently than rats do.
There are other types of mice that occupy homes, but in Massachusetts, the house mouse is the most common.
Serious Problems Caused By Mouse Infestation
Mice will occupy your home year-round, but during the colder months, they are more likely to seek shelter in your home. When house mice live in or around a structure, they almost always cause some kind of damage. You’ll see why it is important not to let a mouse infestation go unnoticed.
Probably the most common is mice will feed on your stored food and contaminate it with their urine, droppings, and hair. This can get rather expensive at the grocery store!
House mice also cause structural damage to buildings by gnawing and nest-building activities. Most of the gnawing just causes an eyesore, but when they get at the insulation inside your walls and attic, that’s when they start messing with your heating bills!
They can also make homes in large electrical appliances. In these cases, they often chew up wiring as well as insulation. This not only ruins the appliance, but it creates a serious fire hazard.
The most heartbreaking of all is when mice damage important or irreplaceable items. For example, if you store these types of items in the attic, basement, or garage, then the mice in your home may have access to them.
Mice have no idea that they are gnawing or urinating and defecating on family heirlooms, paintings, books, family photos, documents or other items, which may be impossible to replace.
How To Tell If Your Home Is Infested By Mice
Droppings – Wherever there are mice, there are droppings. Mouse droppings are about ¼ inch long and may be found along runways, in feeding areas, and near shelter.
Tracks – Try this simple home test: Make a path of dirt on the floor in an area you are suspicious of before you go to bed. If you see footprints in the morning, then you know you have a rodent present.
Smudge Marks – They are the result of oil and dirt rubbing of the mice’s fur and onto the frequently traveled routes. They also may be apparent on beams, rafters, pipes, walls, and other parts of structures.
Gnawing – Like many rodents, a mouse’s front teeth will grow all throughout the mouse’s entire life. They keep them worn down by gnawing on hard surfaces like your doorways and furniture. Fresh accumulations of wood shavings, insulation, and other gnawed material are sure signs of active infestations.
Sounds – Gnawing, climbing into walls, running across the upper surface of the ceiling, and squeaks are common where mice are present. You’ll mostly hear these sounds at night since mice are nocturnal, but sometimes you’ll hear noises in the daytime too.
Nest – They are frequently found when cleaning out your garage, closet, attic, basement, and sheds. They consist of fine shredded fibrous materials.
Odor – A distinct musky odor is a positive indication that house mice are present. Mice and rats have different odors which is useful in determining which type of rodent is in your home.
What To Do If You Believe Your Home Is Infested With Mice
Here are some popular methods to deal with mice in your home:
Ultrasonic Devices
Devices that produce ultrasonic sounds claiming to control rodents have come and gone in recent years.
Ultrasonic sound does not travel very far, it loses its intensity rapidly, and it does not travel around corners well. In other words, it’s tough to treat an entire home with ultrasonic devices. But even if you could, recent tests have shown that ultrasonic devices repel the rodents from the area for a few days, only to have them return and resume normal activity.
The bottom line is that ultrasonic devices have not proven to be an effective solution in permanently driving mice out of the structures they are dwelling in. This is why we generally discourage people from wasting their money on such devices.
Mouse Traps
Trapping can be a more effective method of controlling mice and we suggest you try it first if you suspect only a few mice in your shed, garage, or other small structure.
A downside is that it requires more labor than most other methods and many people simply don’t like dealing with a mouse carcass.
Also, this is a non-permanent solution which is relatively ineffective where there are lots of mice present.
Store-Bought Poisons/Rodenticides
Besides being hazardous, you never know when or if the rodenticides did the job right because you may never find the mouse carcass. After consuming the poison, the mouse may die in between your walls and cause a terrible odor.
This is another non-permanent solution to mouse infestation and not something we typically recommend.
Professional Mouse-Proofing
Each rodent-proofing project is different, but it usually consists of first removing the rodents from the property and sealing any the gaps that would let the mice back in.
Get Your House Back!
Gary’s Wildlife has helped hundreds of people in Massachusetts get their homes back and we’d be happy to talk to you about your mouse problem. Give us a call at 508-946-0060 and we’ll answer any questions you may have.
Serving Eastern Massachusetts
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from Duxbury